Looking at the 1840 tithe map, the two properties are shown as one, so I wonder if no.27 and no.29 could have originally been one building. However, it would seem that by the later 1880s map they are shown as two - so either it was divided into two during the later 1800s, or perhaps the older map was incorrect and they were always two properties?


Looking at the early 1900s photos which shows what would have been the current nos.25, 27 and 29 before the demolition of the original old cider house after a possible fire that damaged the two buildings; it is difficult to identify no.27 accurately due to the foreshortening with the angle of the photo, but due to the demolition of the adjoining property, there would have needed to be some major work to secure the newly exposed gable wall on the right end; perhaps there was more work done at that time on the whole front elevation?




1960s modernisation hits Castle street!

More recently, there appears to have been further major changes; the current No.27 has a quite different appearance from the 1940s photos.

I read somewhere that there may have been another fire in the late 1950s or early 1960s (that would make it two fires damaging this building in a little over 50 years!) This would suggest that it was then that a (possibly second) re-modelling of the front of no.27 took place, this time incorporating the wider windows we see today.

It would also suggest that the fire may have spread to the adjoining property at no.29, at least at the roof level, as both properties have a new roof height after the rebuild, although the frontage of no.29 was kept much as before.




Both the eaves height and ridge heights and position had changed from earlier (compare where they meet no.33 to left of no.29), suggesting that the roofs of both properties were completely rebuilt.

The earlier large stone(?) built chimney (of no.27) has been replaced with a smaller brick chimney; perhaps the fire required the replacing of the old chimney.

The overall appearance of no.27 changed with the rebuild as the windows show the wider format popular in the 1900s, whereas the previous more square window openings were traditional. 

Another difference seems to be in the ground floor heights. Earlier photos show the two properties with similar floor heights (judging by the front door steps), whereas later photos show that no.27 has an extra step up to the new floor height. So clearly quite a rebuild and restyle at that time.


As for no.29, the bay window is an identifying feature that runs through from early times; although the actual style of window has changed several times. The earlier (late 1920s) photos show it when it was a shop premises with children outside. We know that Alice and Albert Venn ran it as a shop before they had the new shop built in 1936 or thereabouts at no.40 further up on the other side of Castle street, which later became Castle Stores.

Like no.27. the roof (eaves and ridge) of no.29 was also raised, presumably at the same time as No.27 was re-modelled! There was also the addition of the small chimney at some point, which was not there in the 1920s photo.